Her Masters Voice
by Luvdarain5
Summary: Serena thinks she may be falling in love with her boss, the only problem is they've never met in person! But each conversation brings them closer...can Serena face him when the time is right, or will she chicken out? R&R pls! REVISED! YAY!


Her Master's Voice

By Luvdarain5

Disclaimer-I don't own Sailor Moon.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The phone rang violently in the quiet, and Serena Tsukino popped her head back around the door she had just exited. "You've gotta be kidding me!" She said in disbelief. Then as it rang again, "Oh, for goodness sake! I better get it, I suppose." She said, re-entering her office.

It was 5:32 on a Friday afternoon and she should have been gone half an hour ago. Dedicated employee that she was, she had stayed behind to finish her work before leaving, despite the fact that the rest of the office had cleared out and the place now resembled a ghost town.

She leaned over to pick up the receiver, not planning to take her seat at her desk. She was going to deal with this call quickly and be on her way!

"Thank you for calling the Shields Corporation, this is Mr. Templeton's office, how may I help you?" She said, her sweet voice not conveying her impatience to be gone. She was a professional, after all.

"That is a ridiculously long greeting" An impatient, distinctly male voice informed her.

'The customer is always right, the customer is always right.' She reminded herself as she silently gritted her teeth before replying. "I'm sorry you think that sir, how can I help you?"

"I need to speak to Templeton," He said, as though he shouldn't have to state the obvious. "Now."

"I'm sorry but he's _not_ available sir." She admonished gently. "I can take your information and have-"

"I don't have time to play around, get him on the phone now!" He was getting more insistent.

"Sir, I'm sorry but-"

"If you apologize to me one more time, I'll have your job," He said menacingly, all the more dangerous for the low tones in which he issued the threat.

The man was being unreasonable; Serena thought desperately, she couldn't get her boss on the phone if he was gone for the day! She didn't have his cell number or anything; she was new to the company and still learning the ropes! She had been lucky to land this Admin job, but if this jerk had his way she wouldn't keep it for long.

"Sir, Mr. Templeton has left for the day, perhaps if you give me a moment I can-"

"What's your name?" He demanded.

She gulped, not liking the sound of that. "S-Serena sir. Serena Tsukino"

"Ms. Tsukino, do you know who are you are talking to?" He wanted to know.

"No." She felt hot, despite the chill of the air conditioning. Somehow she knew this was important.

"This is Darien Shields, as in the head of the company you _used_ to work for." He said smugly.

She gasped. "Sir, if you'll just let me put you on hold, I can-"

"Damn it, stop 'Sir-ring' me to death!" He interrupted. "I need to speak to Templeton! There is a million dollar deal on the table and I need information on the Gaspaldi files. You find him, and you find him _now _or it's both your jobs, got it?"

"Wait," She said, seeing a light at the far end of the tunnel. "I can get you information on the Gaspaldi files! I was just working on them, I know where they are!" Her voice sounded lighter due to the reprieve she believed she had found.

"Fine, stop playing around and get it then." He growled.

"Hold please!" She said frowning. Then right before she hit the hold button. "Sir!" It wasn't much, but she felt a little satisfaction in her small rebellion.

Quickly dumping her purse and empty lunch bag on the floor-she was too much in a hurry to put them on her desk-she grabbed her key ring, and rushed over to the filing cabinet she had just finished locking a few moments before.

"Got it!" She said, holding it aloft, as though it were the Holy Grail. Dancing back to the phone, she picked it up, and announced giddily. "Got it Sir, what do you need?"

"All of it." He said, almost sounding amused for a moment. Maybe the muzak had relaxed him, she thought.

Her mind was a blank, how would she get it to him?

"Got a pen?" He asked, calmer now that what he needed was within reach.

She nodded, which of course he couldn't see, and then said, "Go ahead" Curious as to what he was going to tell her.

He read off a number and ordered her to repeat it back. She did so. Then he fell silent, waiting.

"Is that all sir?" She asked, confused, sure there must be more.

"What do you mean is that all?" He said, "Start the fax already!"

"Oh, you want me to fax it!" She said, finally comprehending.

"Of course I want you to fax it, what the hell did you think I wanted you to do with it?" He wanted to know, getting angry again.

"Hold on, let me just run to the fax machine, ok?" She asked, forgetting she was speaking to her boss. She put him on hold again, and ran over to the machine, agonizing over the slow 'warming up' of the machine, and that it seemed to take forever for the fax to begin pulling the papers through. Finally it completed the function, and beeped to show it was sending the information.

She ran back to the phone, picking it up. "It's on its way!" She said proudly.

"About time." He said smartly.

"Now look you!" She had had enough of his attitude, boss or no boss. "It's Friday night and every one has left already and I am exhausted and just want to go home, it's been a long day and the last thing I feel like doing is putting up with your rotten attitude!" she declared.

She was startled to hear the sound of several voices laughing. Her eyes widened-she had been on speakerphone?

There was a click, and suddenly his voice sounded much more intimate.

"Ms. Tsukino, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with the entire room." He said and she cringed in embarrassment. "Give me your cell number in case I need anything further, the fax has come through and I believe I have everything I need."

Faintly, she wondered how much unemployment paid, and guessed she was about to find out. When he prompted her again for her number she recited it to him, her brain screaming insults at her stupidity.

"We'll discuss this later." He said, then hung up. There was such finality to that statement.

"What else is there to discuss?" She asked the dial tone rhetorically, then hung up the receiver. How was she going to explain this to her boss on Monday? Would she even have a job? She thought of her discouragingly small bank account. She would probably have to borrow more money from her parents since she had thought was she was in the clear when she landed this job and had shopped for new clothes for work.

Emitting a small, self-pitying sniffle she picked up her things and checked her desk for any personal belongings she wanted to take with her to her next job. Not seeing anything worth keeping she left, dutifully locking the door behind her.

She trudged to her car, mindlessly driving the familiar route to her apartment. Once there she got slowly out, her mind repeating every detail of their conversation to see if she might have somehow misunderstood, or have a leg to stand on in defense. Then she realized it didn't matter, he was the head of the company, if he wanted her gone-and in this case she might deserve it-then she would be tossed out on her keister. End of story.

She entered her apartment, a small but cozy one bedroom to be met by the loud mewing of her cat who insisted she was starving to death. "Honestly Luna, you have a whole bowl of dry food there." She scolded. But the cat would not be put off, she wanted a moist canned meal, and was willing to pester Serena to death until she got it.

Finally silencing the cat with a small platter of the smelly stuff, Serena moved off to her bedroom, dropping her purse and keys on the 'gently used' coffee table her mother had given her. Most of her furniture was 'hand me downs' and second-hand things.

If only she had married Seiya, she thought for the hundredth time. She would have a house by now, probably a better car, and she wouldn't be struggling paycheck to paycheck. But she had been terrified when the time for her engagement drew short and her marriage drew near and she didn't feel any more certain of her decision. She had liked and admired him, of course, but she had never felt love, or passion, had never missed him desperately when he was gone, or craved intimacy, the way he had.

She shook her head, breaking out of her depressing thoughts. She had made her choice and now had to live with the consequences. From the time she was 18 she had been planning to marry her high school sweetheart, and therefore hadn't pursued academics or a job very seriously. Now that she had to earn a living for herself, things were quite different.

She spent some time soaking in a hot bath, trying to steam away her troubles, before the rumbling of her stomach forced her out. She wrapped herself in a fluffy robe, then meandered to the kitchen and fixed herself a couple of P&J sandwiches on fresh white bread. People were always amazed at how much she could eat for such a petite person.

Sitting on her couch she listened to her messages as she ate, further depressed when a call from her friend Mina announced that 'the girls' were going out to dinner and she was invited to join. The message had been left at 5:50-while she was still stuck at the office talking to that bozo. She could have enjoyed herself and maybe even scored a free meal out of it, once her friends heard her little sob story. Her sandwiches seemed to lose their taste at that thought, but she persevered on.

Serena cut the TV on, and watched a couple shows she had no real interest in, the droning of the TV causing her to feel drowsy, and Luna's warm purr was so relaxing…

The sound of her cell phone seeped into her consciousness, and she slowly returned to reality. The theme song to 'Sex and the City' beckoned her, and she groggily searched for her purse, grabbing her phone and murmuring a sleepy, "Hello?" She blinked at the clock, which told her it was almost 10 pm.

There was a pause, and she repeated herself. "Hello?" She said, in a clearer voice.

"I apologize if I woke you Ms. Tsukino." Said that deep voice and she felt herself sitting up alertly, as though he were in the room with her.

"Mr. Darien?" She shook her head, that wasn't right, "I mean, Mr. Shields? Is that you?"

"Yes" He confirmed, saying nothing more. She wondered if she were dreaming.

"Can I help you sir?" She asked, not sure if she was really awake or not but figuring it would be in her best interest to behave herself just in case. She fervently hoped this wasn't going to turn into a steamy fantasy kind of dream, she wasn't dressed for it, she was still in her bathrobe. Plus she didn't think that was appropriate to do with her boss, but he was going to fire her anyway, so it might be ok. Then again she didn't know what he looked lik-

"Ms. Tsukino? Did you hear what I said?" He asked calmly.

"No" She told him honestly. "I wasn't listening."

He gave a deep sigh and she shivered at the masculine sound. He sure had a great voice, she decided. 'Steamy Fantasy for one' she thought incoherently.

"I said, I wanted to apologize for my rude behavior earlier today." He repeated. She blinked, this sounded for real.

"Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, really." He said derisively. He might be mocking her a little but she didn't care. She wasn't going to loose her job!

"Thank you Mr. Shields, you just don't know how much this means!" She said gaily, feeling heaps better after her catnap and now this good news. "And thanks for calling to tell me, even though it's late, I really appreciate it!"

"Yes, about that-" He began, then "Hold on."

She waited, her phone pressed closely to her ear so she could make out what he was doing.

The sounds of a door, then rattling, then, "Just leave it over there. Thank you, here you go." Spoke her wonderful boss. She ignored her conscience that reminded her she had been referring to him as a rat only hours earlier.

He came back on the line, somehow she knew that before he even spoke, and she felt a strange closeness, as though he were there with her in the room.

"As I was saying, " He continued, "I realize I was rude today. The truth of the matter is that I was sitting at the table with the very man I was trying to buy out, when my assistant realized he had forgotten the documents we needed. It was a tense moment for all of us." He cleared his throat. "And also" He seemed to be stalling before admitting something. "I forgot about the time difference." He mumbled.

"Oh, it's alright sir!" She said happily, "Everyone makes mistakes." Somehow that idiom sounded trite and not quite appropriate to say to the head of her company. "I'm just glad you didn't fire me!" The joy in her voice evident.

"Fire you?" He sounded truly puzzled, "Why the hell would I fire you?"

"But you said-" She paused; he had threatened to fire her, hadn't he?

"I told you I would fire you?" He asked, as though amazed at himself. "I really was a…jerk." He said, amending his harsh words so as not to offend her.

"It really is ok" Serena said, speaking in a softer voice full of understanding and forgiveness.

"…Thank you." He said, and she could tell the way he struggled over it that it wasn't something he said often.

She heard the clink of silverware. "Are you just now having dinner?" She asked, feeling bad for him now that she realized he might not be such an ogre.

"Room Service" He informed her, "And it's only 7 here, so it's not that late."

"What are you having?" Serena wanted to know, not caring that she sounded nosy. She would take her thrills vicariously if she had to.

He laughed in surprise at her question. "Steak and potatoes"

"Ooh, that sounds a lot better than the sandwiches I had for dinner." She told him, not sure why she was confiding to him. "I could have had a decent meal tonight, but I was stuck talking to you and missed out." She continued, hunger running her mouth.

"I am very sorry for that as well Ms. Tsukino, I will have to find a way to make it up to you somehow." He told her, and she felt a moment of alarm as she wondered what he meant. "I have to go, there is a call coming through. Good night." He hung up, not giving her a chance to respond.

Serena turned back to the TV, with no interest, but now wide-awake. Her stomach started growling again and after 20 minutes of ignoring it; she wandered to the kitchen to see if she could find anything to eat. After several minutes of investigating the contents of her kitchen and refrigerator she had to admit-nothing looked good. Nothing resembled steak and potatoes, she amended, that was the problem.

A knock on her door had her turning in astonishment. She glanced at her kitchen clock, it was 10:37, who in the world could it be? Then she wondered if her friends had stopped by for a visit, and they did occasionally. "Aw, you guys" She said happily to herself, hoping they brought leftovers.

She looked out the peephole and saw an upside down image of a guy, carrying something round and shiny and silver.

Immediately she began looking around for her baseball bat. "Go away" She called, "You have the wrong address!" She said this despite the fact that she didn't even yet know what he was here for.

"Delivery for Ms. Tsukino, courtesy of Mr. Shields" The man announced loudly. Too loudly for the quiet hallway in a mostly elderly building. Her eyes widened, wait, did he say…?

She pulled back the locks and swung open the door, staring up at the very handsome gentleman before her.

"Did you say from Mr. Shields?" She asked, her mind spinning. What in the world…?

"Yes ma'am" He said, bowing, an odd gesture in this day and age. "My name is Jade Taylor, and I am a chef for Mr. Shields private residence. He called and instructed me to bring you this." He held out the shiny silver object and she could see now that it was a serving platter. He lifted the lid and she closed her eyes to inhale the incredible smell. She was embarrassed to realize she was salivating just a little. She hoped she wasn't drooling.

"You're kidding!" She said, but was already reaching for the plate. Suddenly she stopped. "Oh, my purse is around here, somewhere, just hold on, ok?" She asked, looking around on the floor for where she had left it last.

The chef laughed, "Ma'am, you are not required to pay or tip me; this is a gift, from an apologetic Mr. Shields." He placed the food on her small kitchen table.

"Excuse me ma'am, but the staff is dying to know what in the world he has to be sorry for?" He continued curiously, "He never apologizes!"

She blushed, not sure she should say anything, and he nodded. "It's all right, I had to ask, you understand." He gave her a friendly wink and a smile.

After he left, she sat down to the most incredible meal she had ever had, with apologies to her mothers cooking. Cleaning the plate, there was no sign left of the juicy steak or perfectly seasoned greens, only the carcass of the baked potato, though some of the skin was missing from that too.

'Wow' she thought, the word reverberating in her mind even as she finally headed off to bed to succumb to sleep.

The next morning Serena awoke, still full, still employed and happy with the world in general. She realized halfway through a light breakfast that she should thank Mr. Shields and debated most of the morning whether to make the call or not. Finally in a flash of inspiration, she remembered she had his number stored in her phone. Hoping the number he had called from was his cell; she sent him a cute text message telling him she appreciated his gesture.

'Tnx for the food-sooo good! You're the best!' She even inserted a smiley face for good measure.

She sent it and forgot about it, deciding that since her bank account wasn't in jeopardy of drying up, she would go shopping after all, and called her friends up for an afternoon of gossiping and fun.

That evening when she returned home, she realized she had missed a text message, and sat on the couch, flipping open her phone to read it. She felt a warm flush when she realized it was from him.

It said simply; 'You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.' But she saved the message, not bothering to justify to herself why she did it.

Monday morning came all too soon, and Serena, having forgotten her elation at still having a job dragged herself into work, less than thrilled with start of another workweek.

She felt better once she arrived at her office, and her boss Mr. Templeton greeted her with effluent praise for saving his a-er behind. She felt buoyed by the compliments and as a result worked even harder in order to earn more praise.

The day went slowly, as Mondays tend to do, and that afternoon she answered the phone distractedly, issuing her usual greeting, trying to keep her place on the spreadsheet she was working on.

"Good Afternoon Ms. Tsukino" The smooth voice offered, and at once Serena's attention was pulled to the phone.

"Mr. Shields!" She felt a smile pop onto her face as though she couldn't help it. "How are you?"

She heard the answering smile in his voice when he responded that he was fine. "I need to speak to Mr. Templeton," He requested, much more civilly this time.

"Sure thing Sir!" She chirped, feeling as though they were now old friends. She patched him through and went back to her work.

A few moments later, her boss popped his head out from his office door, looking harassed. "Serena, do you know where the Trini file is?"

She nodded and jumped up to fetch it for him. "Man, is he hounding me!" Templeton complained, taking the file and wearily heading back into his office without shutting the door.

A moment later he called out, "Serena, what date was the initial closing for the Trini contract?" She answered him off the top of her head, then tried to focus in on her work again.

"Ok, last question," He said, "Actually probably not, but what was the name of the person who handled the Coleson contract?" She wrote down the name when she had to repeat it twice and he still couldn't seem to remember it.

He re-entered his office but came out a moment later, looking upset. "I can't believe this; he wants to talk to you!" Mr. Templeton looked ready to explode. "He says I don't seem to know my head from my ass and since you are providing the answers he wants it straight from the horse's mouth!"

Serena privately had to agree with Mr. Shields, he was a busy man and her boss didn't seem to be able to answer the questions himself.

"Sure put him through, I'll talk to him!" She said, resigning herself to finishing her current project later.

Her boss went back in, closing the door behind him with a little slam before transferring the call with a curt "Shields for you." Clearly he didn't care to be usurped by his assistant.

She fixed her headset onto her head since she figured the call might be lengthy. She retrieved the call from its hold and told him right off the bat, "That wasn't very nice."

He didn't sound repentant. "Your boss is wasting my time, if you have all the answers it makes sense to talk to you, don't you agree?" He said brusquely. He paused before adding, "Besides can I help it if I prefer the sound of your voice to his?" She blushed at this even though he couldn't see her, and thought she liked the sound of his voice too.

"All right", she said in a businesslike tone, "Fire away."

20 Minutes later he had all the information he needed. "You know," He said, and she could hear him shuffling papers. "I am impressed that you didn't turn out to be the airhead I mistook you for on Friday."

She laughed in reaction. "Mr. Shields!" She fussed in a friendly way; "Well then I'm glad you didn't turn out to be the jerk I took you for either!" She said teasingly.

"And I have decided that I definitely prefer the sound of your voice, Ms. Tsukino." He murmured, and she swallowed, her merriment disappearing-confusion taking its place. There was no mistaking that suggestive tone.

"I…" She wasn't sure what she was going to say, but he cut her off with a low "Gotta go" and hung up before she could respond.

She sat staring at the phone, trying to decide how she felt about that. She sat there for some time unable to come up with an answer.

Over the next few weeks their conversations increased. He would call her line directly, forgoing her boss completely. And since he had her cell number, he would often call that as well and not always during business hours either.

"Hey" He said on one such call, not bothering to wait for her to speak. "Just give me the name of that idiot in Jackson that screwed up the Jones case."

"Hold on, let me think" She said, pulling out her wallet. Covering the mouthpiece she said, "How much was the total again please?" When the cashier repeated it she nodded, pulling out the correct amount.

"It was Allen Meigs" She informed him, "And he didn't screw up, Pam in accounting misinformed him."

"Ok, Thanks." He said, then had the audacity to add, "Buying naughty lingerie Ms. Tsukino?" She gasped and he laughed, hanging up before she could reply.

She grabbed her bag of lacy pink undies, embarrassed and at the same time muttering, "How did he know?

Serena never said anything to anyone else about it but she could admit to herself that there was more between them than just business. There was an awareness of one another whenever they spoke. Their casual sharing of each other's lives, revealing a little to each other with every conversation.

Not to mention the fact that Serena sometimes found herself closing her eyes just to listen to his voice-snapping her eyes open when she caught herself of course. Or that a dark phantom figure with his deep sexy voice had begun starring in more than a few daydreams.

But the day came when they could no longer pretend it was just business.

"I can't talk now" She spoke abruptly into her cell phone as soon as she saw his number flash on the caller id. "I'm having dinner with Jason from Sales!" Technically at the moment she was in the bathroom washing her hands and checking her appearance but she would be rejoining him in a moment.

There was silence on the other end; maybe he had taken her seriously about not being able to talk. "He could have at least said goodbye!" She muttered getting ready to snap her phone shut and was startled when he barked back "What?"

"Oh! Thought you hung up on me." She said, turning her head first left and then right. Deciding that freshening her makeup wouldn't hurt, she put him on speakerphone since the bathroom was empty and laid her cell on the counter.

"All right, go ahead while I doll myself up." She told him. Then asked "Don't you ever take a day off?" before he could speak.

"What do you mean you're having dinner with whatever his name is.' He growled, sounding irritated. "Like a date you mean?"

"Of course like a date, that's what normal people do!" She snapped, knowing she sounded rude but couldn't help it. He was being purposefully obtuse!

"I was told you weren't seeing anyone." He said slowly, almost as though he was thinking out loud.

That gave her pause. "What do you mean?" She gasped, "Have you been asking around about me?"

"Tell me, how long have you two been seeing one another?" He demanded, ignoring her question. "Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"Not that I owe you any explanation" She said hotly, "But he just asked me out this past Thursday, and I decided to say yes!"

"Promise me you won't see him again," He ordered, sounding very intimidating despite the fact that he was speaking out of a slim pink phone.

"Listen Mr. Shields, you have no right-"

"No, you listen." He interrupted heatedly, "You are not to see him again, you are not to kiss him tonight, and you sure as hell are not to go to bed with him!"

"I…" She was stunned into silence, not sure how to react to his words. But she felt a shiver of excitement at the possessiveness in his voice, as if she belonged to him and he had every right to say these things. But she knew this was all wrong.

"Promise me" He said again, and there was a throbbing tone in his voice, almost as if he were begging. But the great Darien Shields didn't beg…

There were so many things she should have said. She should have put him in his place. She should have told him he had no right to say those things to her. She should have told him that he was her boss and didn't have any say over who she could and could not date.

Instead she shocked herself by responding, "I promise" in a soft whisper. Somehow he heard.

He gave a harsh sigh of relief.

"We need to talk" He said heavily. "…Serena" It was the first time he had ever used her first name and it felt like a caress. But she couldn't listen to more; she was so ashamed of herself.

"I have to go" She said, tears threatening, and hung up on him. Picking up her phone, she silenced it, slipping it into her pocket.

Checking her appearance in the mirror once more she grimaced at the slight redness of her nose. Pulling out her compact she fixed herself up the best she could, then went out to rejoin her date for the evening.

The night ended early though, with her pleading a headache and evading his questions when he tried to pin her down for another evening. He got the hint and soon departed, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

For the next few days she refused to take his calls. Even ignoring his imperial commands via her boss to 'answer her damn phone.'

But business needs overtook personal ones, and after a time or two when her boss failed to come up with the information he needed Serena exasperatedly took the phone and bossily told Darien to 'hold his horses' and she would get him what he needed.

They didn't discuss that night.

Gradually they found their former footing, talking often, occasionally on their cell phones, often at odd hours.

He would send her little gifts too, supposedly in thanks for her hard work. He was a wealthy man who could afford to send her diamonds and pearls, but instead send her thoughtful gifts, like a delicate butterfly necklace when she had mentioned she loved the intricate patterns. Or when he sent roses, because they discovered they both loved the heady fragrance and elegance of the flower. But the best, at least in her opinion was when he sent food.

She was at her office talking to him on the phone one afternoon; their business conversations finished and they were just chatting.

"Hey," She said, so comfortable with him now that she would occasionally made demands of him. "Send another one of those fruit baskets the next time you want to 'thank me', those pears were sooo good!" She enthused.

He gave that low seductive laugh that she loved. "No one would ever take you for a health nut for all the junk food you claim to eat." He countered, "But I'll see what I can do."

She knew that meant that one would be waiting for her when she arrived home. She grinned, shuffling papers and not paying attention. "Ow!" She said, suddenly inhaling in pain.

"What?" He asked sharply, as though he could do anything when he was on the other side of the world.

"Paper cut" She mumbled, sucking her finger in her mouth to draw out the pain. "Got myself good too!" She pulled out her finger to look and saw a red, literally. "I'm really bleeding here!" Her cell phone beeped, and she mumbled, "Hold on" to him, without waiting for a reply. Pushing the hold button, she picked up her cell.

She gave her name but was cut off from saying more when an older female voice began sobbing. "Oh Serena, you must come, it's so terrible, please, we need you!"

Serena's eyes widened, hearing the desperation, and trying to place the woman's voice. She gasped as recognition hit her. "Mrs. Starlight?"

The woman continued to cry, begging for her to come right away. "Mrs. Starlight, has something happened to Seiya?" She asked, trying to understand the woman. Finally she just asked her where she should go. When she got the name of a hospital Serena hung up, sick with worry.

The blinking light of her work phone grabbed her attention momentarily; reminding her Darien was still on hold. She picked it up and said, "I have to go to the hospital!" Then hung up, grabbing her purse and peeling out, telling her boss she had an emergency and would be back as soon as she could.

When she arrived, it was to discover that her former fiancé Seiya had been in a car accident, but she was relieved to discover it was not nearly as serious as his mother had made it out to be. Realizing that Mrs. Starlight had over reacted reminded her that the woman was something of a drama queen and counted this as one more reason to be thankful she hadn't married into this family.

Serena and Seiya regarded one another uncomfortably, and once she had ascertained he was ok got out of there as quickly as she could. It was a little sad to her that the man she had almost married could not even carry on a simple conversation with her anymore. But if Kakyuu; the quiet redhead in the corner was any indication, he had moved on.

She returned to work exhausted, and was gratified to realize she had only been gone an hour and a half since it had felt much longer. After dumping her purse and keys at her desk, she ducked into the employee restroom to wash her hands and straighten up; she was looking a little ragged.

She felt better once she had fixed herself up and washed her hands, running fingers through her hair until she could brush it and decided she probably needed to get back to work.

She exited the restroom, and was immediately surrounded by shouts of "There she is!" from either sides of the hallway. She looked around confused. "What?"

On one end of the hallway frumpy Haruna from the office next to hers, and nerdy Melvin from IT stood, pointing at her dramatically, as though they were bloodhounds. On the other end of the hall was her boss, who rushed forward once he had spotted her.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" She asked, trying to get an answer from someone, when all three of them seemed to be pushing and pulling her in the direction of her office. "I didn't do anything!" She insisted, then quickly shut her mouth, wondering if she had.

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. Had Seiya's injury gotten worse? Had something happened while she was returning to work and the hospital had called back with bad news?

They finally corralled her into her seat, pressing her down with more force than necessary. Serena stared at the blinking light on her phone, suddenly very afraid to pick it up.

Before she could do so though, her boss tugged her back up, "No, no here, in my office, there's more privacy in there!" He said, shoving her into his office and slamming the door behind her. She stood for a moment totally bewildered. Then the door popped open again. "Line one!" He said, "Don't forget to tell him it was me that found you, ok?" He closed the door with a slam.

That sounded odd, and she moved to her boss's desk and sat down, curiously picking up the phone and taking the call off hold. "Hello?" She said hesitantly.

There was a moment of silence on the line, and then a worried male voice spoke. "Serena?" It was her boss, Darien.

She was shocked; it was the last thing she expected. What was the big emergency that had everyone hunting for her? Suddenly she felt a quick chill, worrying that maybe something wrong with him, after all this seemed to be a day for accidents. "Are you ok?" She asked quickly.

"Am I ok?" He barked angrily. "What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I'm ok, it's you that I was worried about!"

"Me?" She gave a laugh of disbelief, not connecting the dots. "Why would you be worried about me?"

He was silent a moment, and she worried he was ready to yell. He was always silent right before he geared up to explode.

"You said you had cut yourself." He spoke slowly, as though trying to explain trigonometry to a two year old. "Then you said you had to go to the hospital! What the hell was I supposed to think?"

"Oh!" She laughed again and in the face of his aggravation it probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, but it had been a long afternoon and she was happy for relief it gave her. "I'm so sorry about that Darien, but I didn't go to the hospital for a paper cut!"

His patience was a testament to his feelings for her, or else he might have said something unforgivable, as was in his aggressive nature. Instead he said calmly, "Then why did you have to go to the hospital?" Another thought occurred to him, "Is your family ok Serena?" He asked gently.

"They're fine, I'm fine-it's a long story." She said softly. "Thank you for being so concerned about me Darien." She said sincerely, closing her eyes and leaning her head on the desk, feeling comforted by his voice. She idly wondered when she had stopped calling him Mr. Shields and started calling him Darien, but it felt so natural she decided it didn't matter.

"Serena," He sounded so close now. She heard him exhale a ragged breath before saying "I can't take this anymore. I've decided to cut this trip short and head back home."

She processed the information in a sort of shock. "What?" She asked in a whisper.

"This long distance relationship-whatever it is we have-isn't working anymore. I need to be with you. Need to hold you. Do you understand?" He was speaking in low vibrating tones, and she was nodding even though he couldn't see her.

"Serena?" He prompted when she still hadn't spoken out loud.

"I understand," She said cautiously, answering him in her odd way.

"I'm glad you understand, but what do you think about what I've said?" He asked candidly, anxious for her reply.

"I want that too." She answered honestly. Though she was hesitant, she was still riding the moment and was overcome by a powerful yearning to be with him right then.

"Good" He said, his voice sounding firmer, changing to one of satisfaction.

"Darien!" She was suddenly gripped in a strange panic, the unreality of the moment taking over. "What if you don't like me? What if I'm not what you thought?" She desperately wanted to know, save nothing of how she would react to him.

"Serena, I already know what you look like, I know your adorable personality, and I am, unequivocally, unexplainably crazy about you!" He assured her, his words were meant to calm her, but not exactly doing the job.

"How could you know?" She demanded, as though this were the most important part of the conversation. "How do you know what I look like?"

He sighed "You were at the birthday party for Jack Spalding in Sales about a month ago, right?"

She pulled the phone away from her to stare at it oddly before putting it back to her ear. "Uh, yeah?"

"Well one of the men there happened to get some shots with his digital camera, one was of you and I had him send it to me." He explained. "I use it as the screensaver on my laptop."

She gulped. "What do I look like?" She was testing him she knew, but this was all so very odd and surreal.

"You look beautiful," He said warmly, as though he was glad she asked. "You're smiling a big cheery smile, your hair is sleek and gorgeous, almost down to your waist. You have the prettiest blue eyes I have ever seen, full of mischief. And those thick soft lashes " He blew out a breath as though he couldn't even begin to go into it.

Clearly he had given some thought to this picture and it sounded like he might have even made up a few stories about what he saw. "You're wearing a dark gray knee length skirt and a pink top that shows you have a very provocative figure." He sighed more deeply, and it sounded suggestive to her. "The girl in this picture has starred in quite a few of my fantasies." He taunted, deliberately trying to seduce her with words.

She suddenly, inexplicably felt close to tears. "Don't tease me," She pleaded softly. "I couldn't take it, not from you."

His tone changed. "Serena, I am serious." He said urgently. "I've felt this way for some time now, but the last thing I wanted to do was to scare you off again."

The dam broke and she heard herself confessing "Darien, I need you here to hold me! Why aren't you here when I need you?" She cried, her feelings unexpectedly overwhelming her. She wanted to be with him now, his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him.

He heard the desperation, and it gripped him painfully. "I'll be there soon baby." He soothed, the endearment surprising them both. "Just hold on a little longer."

"But I need you now!" She wailed, hating the sound of her voice, but unable to help herself.

"I know you do." His deep, soft voice was soothing her and she inhaled a breath that was a little less shaky.

"Am I really your baby?" She asked timidly, desperately wanting it to be true. She knew this was a totally crazy conversation to be having-he was her boss's boss's boss-as high up as you could go! She would be embarrassed with herself later, she rationalized, but for now it was just the two of them and she had to know.

"Yes, Baby, you are." He said, no longer the sexy dangerous animal trying to seduce his prey, but just a man, desperate to convince his woman that his intentions were true. "And you are _so_ precious to me Serena."

She felt her toes curl at that, could hear the truth in his words and knew she felt the same. She wanted to tell him, but didn't know where to start.

"Damn. I have to go," He said suddenly; regret thickening his voice, "Duty calls."

"Okay" She said meekly, still sounding watery.

"Serena" His voice was urgent, deadly serious now. "The hardest part is still ahead of us, I need you to be strong. Don't run away from me. From us." He hesitated before saying the words that would bring them full circle. "Promise me."

"I…Darien…I'll try" She said, knowing it was the best she could do for now.

"Baby I-" There was talking in the background. "I really have to go, I'll call you soon." He hung up, as usual without waiting for her reply.

He was right; she thought as she replaced the receiver, the hardest part was ahead of them. That night he sent her a bouquet of two-dozen purple red roses and a card that read, "I'll see you soon." It gave her nervous butterflies just to look at it.

In the days that followed Serena walked around in a haze. She had trouble focusing on her work, and it didn't help that Darien didn't call her at all. She began to have doubts about the whole episode, wondering if he was regretting all the things he had said to her.

She also debated with herself whether or not she should find out what he looked like.

She would have to deal with him when he returned, whether he changed his mind about her or not; after all they would be working in the same office. But Serena was scared that his looks could not measure up to his incredible voice and powerful personality.

Part of her sure that she would be disappointed when faced with a beer belly and receding hairline. Then she overheard a conversation between two Jr. Executive women, recognized Darien's name, and looked up in time to see one of the women fanning herself playfully. Okaaaaaay…she thought, guess that means he's hot…

Serena wished he would call her and tell her when he was coming back. She was tempted so many times to just quit and run away because the more she thought about it the more nervous she became.

Four days after 'The talk' he finally called, and she was so anxious she picked it up on the first ring then fumbled the phone, almost dropping it.

"Hello?" She said hurriedly, in case he thought she hung up on him, "Hello? Darien?"

"Hey beautiful" He said casually, and she forced herself to calm down so she would sound as cool as he did. "Sorry I haven't had a chance to call, it's been busy."

"Too busy to call me just to tell me when you're coming back?" She fussed, her nervousness translating to anger. "I've been a wreck waiting for you to call!" Hmm…TMI Serena, she thought to herself warily.

"I know, I know" He said sounding distracted, "But I was trying to wrap up all these loose ends so I could get out of here quicker, and that meant focusing on the tasks at hand to the exclusion of all else. Even you." That sounded rude and she was struggling not to be offended. But she was.

"Especially you." He clarified, and his tone became more intimate. "You're my biggest distraction, and I had to stop myself from calling you several times a day." It sounded like he was alone for the moment, giving her his full attention. His words were low and molten, causing her heart to thump painfully.

"Oh" She said happily, his answer satisfying her completely.

He chuckled, "Thought you would like that" He said, and her smile dimmed a little as she wondered if it had just been a line until he said, "Bet you love knowing that I can think of anything else but you." And she thrilled at the grin in his voice.

"I…the truth is, I've been feeling the same way." She admitted bravely. "You've been on my mind, I haven't gotten much done lately."

He chuckled. "Hmm…as your boss I-no scratch that," He said quickly, trying to retract the words. "I don't want that to even enter into our relationship. This thing between us…work doesn't interfere. Got it?" He was using his 'what I say goes' tone, and she hummed a yes, even though she wondered if they really could ignore it.

Someone was speaking to him, and she waited patiently, not talking as she was used to his constant outside interruptions.

"Looks like I'll have to board in a minute so I better say bye for now. I'll call you when I arrive." He informed her. When he got no response he wondered momentarily if they had been disconnected. "Serena?"

"What do you…I mean…what?" She asked dizzily. She shook her head, needing to focus. "You're boarding? As in a plane?" He was on his way here already?

"Yeah, I should have given you more warning I know, but like I said, I've been busy." He frowned, not liking her reaction. "Serena, you _are_ going to be there waiting for me when I arrive, aren't you?"

"I…I have to go!" She hung up on, hating her cowardice but too busy having a panic attack to care.

He called back a few more times, but she didn't pick up and after awhile he stopped trying.

She called out sick the next day, though he wouldn't even arrive for 2 more days, at least according to one of his text messages. She was desperate to figure out what she was going to do. There was no way real life could live up to the fantasies they had built up around each other, and she knew she couldn't bear the disappointed look in his face when they finally met.

After all, she might be considered pretty and have a good attitude, but apparently he was a wealthy, intelligent, and a popular playboy from what she had heard, and she didn't see how she could measure up to his standards.

The next day she went on into work, still unsure of what to do but not wanting to use more of her sick time. The office was abuzz with the unexpected arrival of the head of the company, and she couldn't go anywhere without hearing all about him.

That night she got several insistent calls from him, but she didn't answer them, knowing that he had probably arrived and wanted her to meet him at the airport or something. She cowered in her bedroom, her phone safely tucked away in her purse in the living room, childishly hiding from herself.

The big day arrived, and she got up, tired from a night of little sleep. Standing before her closet, she gripped that none of her clothes seemed good enough, and she was aggravated that she was having a 'bad hair day'.

She wandered to the living room and picked up her cell phone. 137 calls from last night until this morning, she read. It's a good thing he didn't have her address or he might have shown up and forced a confrontation she wasn't ready for. Then she thought of something-he must have her address since he had sent some of her gifts here. Suddenly she felt ashamed, he was giving her time to come to him on her own and here she was hiding away from what could be the best thing that ever happened to her.

Serena moved to stand in front of the mirror, looking at herself in her lacy white slip. It was time to stop being a coward, she decided, raising her chin and squaring her shoulders. Enough hiding, it was time to take a chance! She glanced outside, it was a beautiful day, and she decided it was the perfect day to embrace her destiny!

Too bad her car wouldn't start.

With a sigh she returned to her apartment to call a cab, then sat to wait.

She had picked out an outfit that she hoped flattered her, it was in her signature color, pink. It was both professional and adorable at the same time, a short, but not too short skirt, a white undershirt, and a pink jacket with cuffed white three quarter sleeves. She had white sandal pumps on and she had worked hard with her hair, finally taming it into long waves. She was determined to wear it down, since he had admired it that way in the picture. A touch of makeup, a spritz of perfume and she was ready to go!

As soon as the cab arrived anyway…

Finally she arrived at the office, late because of her car troubles, and 30 bucks poorer thanks to the cabbie-so far this didn't seem to be her day, she hoped it wasn't an omen!

After her boss gently fussed about her late arrival, she sat down at her desk, looking for any sign that Darien had been there. It looked the same as always and she felt both relief and disappointment. She kept looking up every time someone passed by her office, none of her work getting done in her nervous excitement.

She began to feel more and more depressed every time someone that passed and it wasn't him. Of course he _could_ have passed by and she wouldn't have known it because she didn't know what he looked like, but she was sure he would have at least come to her desk and announced himself.

By lunchtime she was as down in the dumps as you could get. Guess he changed his mind about me, she thought. She looked at her cell to see if he had called again. No change, still 137 calls.

She stopped in the process of putting away her phone. Maybe that was the problem, she realized. Maybe _she_ was the problem! She hadn't responded to any of his calls, he probably thought she had changed her mind about him!

Excited now that she knew what she had to do, she tried to start several text messages but what she had to say was so wordy, her fingers quickly got tired of entering and deleting letters, trying to find the right words.

Suddenly, inspiration struck-he was on the premises now-she could email him! Oh, but he probably had a million emails to read already, and might not get to hers until next week!

Finally she admitted to herself, she was going to have to stop being a coward and just call him. Nervously she dialed his work extension, but hung up when his admin answered. Guess he wasn't taking calls, she thought sourly. She had no option left but to call his cell phone. His voicemail picked up. Panicking she hung up without leaving him a message…she didn't know what to do from here. She was desperately afraid she had blown it.

She was sitting there with her cell in her hands, a feeling of melancholy coming over her when her phone rang, startling her so that she dropped it. Hastily she scrambled to pick it up, and flipped it open, yelling "HELLO?"

"Hi" It was him. She was melting, a puddle of nerves. "I saw that you called, I had to excuse myself from a meeting."

"Oh!" She gasped, "You're in a meeting? I'm so sorry! Call me back when you get out!"

"No, it's ok" He said his voice as calm as hers was frenzied. "I was hoping you would call."

"I'm sorry I didn't answer, I'm such a coward!" She said in a rush, "But I think I'm ready now, if you are!" What are you doing, her mind screamed, she wasn't ready at all!

"I'm on my way to your office now" He told her confidently, and she froze in fear. She couldn't do this; this was crazy, this was all wrong! How could she face him here at work with all these witness-her frantic brain ignoring the fact that her boss was at lunch and no one else was around.

She jumped up, phone still clutched to her ear, scooting her chair back from her desk and after checking the hallway to see that it was clear, she began to run down the corridor.

"Serena, what's all that noise?" Darien asked, puzzled. But she could hear the urgency in his voice…she could tell that he knew…

She started breathing hard a little and he could hear that too…the elevator dinged and she skidded to a stop, turned and ran in the opposite direction before the door even fully opened. "Serena?" Came the puzzled voice of her boss from behind her, but she didn't stop.

"Serena, what are you doing?" Darien demanded in her ear. She had momentarily forgotten she still had her phone pressed to her head as she was running.

"I can't" She panted, "Darien, I can't do this, I thought I could, but I can't and I'm so sorry!" She was close to crying now, still not sure where she was going. All the stupid hallways looked alike and she was getting confused.

"Why cant you?" He was shouting now in his aggravation, and she could just picture the looks he was getting, the powerful Darien Shields loosing his cool in a classy professional place like this. She wondered what floor he was on, but didn't think he would tell her if she asked….

"Serena, what are you really afraid of?" He spoke softly, as though he were dealing with a frightened child, and she could tell he had stopped walking, was just standing still, waiting for her answer.

"..I.." Suddenly she came to a dead end. Looking around she realized she had cornered herself. She turned, and saw an escape. The stairwell, with a bright red neon EXIT sign beckoned her, and she gratefully took it.

Pushing open the heavy metal handle on the big door, it gushed open with a rush of air, and she rushed into the drafty chill of the stairs-mostly used for fire drills and not much else. Piping lined the walls of one corner, spreading to the upper and lower levels and the black handrails stood in relief against the unending gray of the floor, walls and stairs of each level. At least it was swept clean, thanks to a diligent janitor. She cowered into a corner, between levels, sliding down to sit on the cold concrete.

He had been silent all this time, waiting for her reply. "Serena, answer me. What are you so afraid of?" His tone had such an even note that didn't go with the question.

"Darien," She was crying now, huddling into herself into a ball for warmth and comfort. "I know you said it wouldn't matter, but what if neither one of us live up to each others expectations? What if all those wonderful times we talked didn't really mean there's anything between us? What if it's awkward and stupid and we wish we'd never met?" She probably wasn't making sense, but she was pouring out all her fears to him, finally.

"Baby no matter what happens, I will never _never_ regret having met you, I can promise you that." He told her softly. "Please Serena, just tell me where you are and we can end all this and just talk in person. OK?"

She closed her eyes, and almost told him, but her nerves got the better of her, and in a snap she finally made her decision. "I'm so sorry Darien, I just can't!" With that she hung up, then with a sob, she threw her phone at the wall, listening as it clattered down the stairs, then over the side down to the next level. She cried her heart out then, hating herself for not being able to face him.

She wasn't sure how long she had been there, but she was mid-sob when she heard the click of one of the doors above or below her, she wasn't sure which. She held her breath, not making a sound, her heart pounding in her ears. She knew it couldn't be Darien, there was no way he would have found her here, but she didn't want some Good Samaritan to stop by, see her crying and try to comfort her.

The door opened and she realized it was one floor below where she sat. The heavy door slammed shut, and after a moment of quiet, there was a slight scraping sound and she realized whoever it was had found her cell phone.

She hoped it was a woman who found it, so they would know that since it was pink it probably belonged to another woman. Men could be dense about that sort of thing. Serena reminded herself to stop by lost and found on her way out to claim her destroyed phone.

She frowned when she didn't hear the sound of footsteps, climbing or receding and she wondered if the person was just standing there. Without warning, a suppressed hiccup escaped her, a latent reaction to her crying. The noise sounded incredibly loud in the silent corridor and she covered her mouth hastily, her eyes widening in fear of being caught.

The tiny sound of her wristwatch seemed abnormally loud, but as it continued to tick by with no further sounds from below she began to relax, deducing that the person must have left and just had very quiet footsteps.

Leaning her head back against the slate gray wall, she gave a sniffle and a sigh, trying to calm herself down. She needed to figure out what she was going to do. Darien would never forgive her for this, and she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself. She would have to find another job, that was certain, but how did she get out of this one?

"Way to go idiot," She told herself, needing to hear her voice, hoping it would help calm her a little. She sounded stuffed up and slightly nasally. "You blew it big time Serena."

She leaned her chin on her arms, which were crossed over her knees. Really, she was such a chicken, it's not like she was hurting in the looks department. Sure she was a bit of an airhead at times, but she wasn't stupid. She had been told she was fun to be with, and she had a good personality, even if she was a little naïve at times. So why was she afraid that he wouldn't like her?

A deep voice suddenly spoke, echoing in the quiet. "You mean you almost blew it, Serena." She gasped in shock. "I have no intention of letting you get away." Darien continued. He gave a quiet chuckle that sounded almost sad. "But I have to agree, you are an idiot."

She could only watch in frozen fascination as he began to climb the stairs. Heavy footsteps preceded him, and he began to coming into view in increments. First his head, full of thick, stylishly cut black hair. An expensive suit jacket stretched across a broad back and shoulders. The silver tie looked sharp against the crisp whiteness of the shirt. His hands were tucked into his pockets but she could see the gleam of a big chunky watch and was sure it cost more than her car.

He was tall, she noticed, when he kept on coming, and finally she saw his shoes, shiny black wingtips that briefly reflected her crouched figure before he reached the top of the stairs so that they were on the same level.

He came to stand over her, and although he was already much taller than her 5'6 height, from this vantage point he was gigantic. Not only his height but his sheer size and presence was intimidating. He could crush me, she thought, then wondered if she meant literally or metaphorically.

His head was tilted to the side as he contemplated her, and she couldn't look him in the eye. She might have been all right to face him if she hadn't run and hid. Now she was probably dusty, who knew how her hair looked, and she was cowering in the corner like a child. Where was her pride, she wondered disgustedly?

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and hitched his pants a little before lowering himself to a crouch in front of her. Startling blue eyes regarded her, and she couldn't do anything more than return his gaze. She should be checking him out; after all she was finally seeing what he looked like after long months of just hearing his voice. But she was waiting, waiting for rejection. Condemnation. Disappointment.

Instead, he reached out a hand and lightly brushed her bangs out of her face. "Hi." He said softly.

Her eyes filled with tears again at the sweet gesture, and she turned her head away in shame. But he touched her chin, pulling her face back so she could see him and shook his head. "Don't turn away from me baby," He whispered. "You'll break my heart."

She closed her eyes, and let out a sob and then shocked them both by launching into his arms. He sighed happily, embracing her finally, holding her as close as he could without hurting her.

Serena was glad he was so big and steady; she could have knocked him off his balance in her haste. She cried on his shoulder, not quite sure _why _she was crying, but he stroked her hair, murmuring her name and just holding her until she calmed down.

Finally he spoke. "Serena I hate to be unromantic, but my legs are falling asleep."

She gave a watery laugh and nodded against his chest, then pulled back as he stood, then he reached down a hand to help her up.

Finally they were facing one another, and he couldn't seem to stop touching her. He toyed with the curls in her hair, he stroked her smooth cheek softly, he traced and retraced the cuff of her jacket. "I knew you were attractive, but I didn't realize how much more beautiful you'd be in person." He confessed, tangling and untangling his fingers with hers in the intimate way lovers did.

Her breath hitched, "Darien" She didn't know what she wanted to say. How did you apologize for being as big a coward as she had proven herself to be? Then at all once she knew what she had to do. _She_ had to make the first move this time.

Serena stepped in close, slipping her arms up along his chest to meet behind his neck. She gave a tug, and he looped big hands around her waist, pulling her into him and leaning down at her command. But he didn't make the first move, instead he stilled, waiting for her. She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft tentative kiss on his hard mouth.

Immediately she wanted more, and released his neck to slide down and grab his suit lapels for leverage, pulling herself up into him. With anxious movements she leaned her head to the side to get better access when she heard and felt him groan. And suddenly he was lifting her up against him, moving them both back to the wall to brace one large hand on the concrete by her head, the other arm tight around her body, pressing her into the heat of him.

Her kisses were frantic, desperate to convey all the things she wanted to tell him but could not. When he opened his mouth against hers, she did the same, her knees giving out at the slow sweep of his tongue deep within her. Her hands clutched and released in his shirt, and she was only able to continue to stand thanks to the support of the wall at her back and his hard chest holding her in place. The sound of their heavy gasping and breathing filled the air.

She wiggled a leg free and shocked herself at her brazenness by hooking it around the back of his calf in a very suggestive move. They were pressed as tightly together as they could while still clothed when Darien finally had to call a halt to things. He knew they were so close to being completely out of hand that he had to stop them now or they might do something that would damage any potential relationship they could have.

He pulled away from her, moving back to lean against the stairway railing, his hands on each side of him gripping the hard iron while he tried to cool himself down.

Serena stayed against the wall, one hand pressed against her forehead, the other hand on her hip trying to find some measure of calm.

He grinned, still breathing hard, and said, "Now that we've got that out of the way, would you like to have dinner with me?"

She looked at him in disbelief, then consulted her slim crystal watch. "It's two o'clock in the afternoon!"

"Fine, we'll have a late lunch then." He said, willing to be flexible. "I just want to spend time with you, somewhere uninterrupted."

She nodded wanting the same thing. "Um…" She blushed before suggesting it but told herself to be brave. "We could go to my place..."

He shook his head with real regret. "Sorry beautiful, not sure if I could restrain myself just yet. It'll have to be a public place, just not too public."

She blushed, liking the sound of that, and agreed. He reached out a hand and she took it as they began to descend the stairs but she quickly had to stop. "My legs are too shaky for this." She told him uncertainly.

"Fine, we can go into the hallway and use the elevator." He said. Than smiled teasingly. "Unless you want me to carry you." Darien wiggled his eyebrows for effect.

"No way, who knows what everyone is going to say anyway!" She worried, hugging herself to his side.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." He said in a southern drawl that caused her to giggle.

But he stopped her before they left the cocoon of safety and had to face the world. "Serena, you never did tell me why you were so afraid." He said softly, tangling a handful of her hair around his fist.

She took a deep breath, hoping she could make him understand. "Because you're Darien Shields. The head of the company I work for, millionaire, playboy and super intelligent. " She said quietly. Then she spoiled it by wailing just a little; "And you're super hot too!"

"And because I'm considered hot, I can't feel the same way?" He asked her. "Can't be hurt if the woman I'm crazy about rejects me? Is that it?" He chastised, kissing her temple reprovingly.

It sounded silly when he said it, but she got the point all the same. She might think he was better than her and deserved more, but his feelings for her leveled the playing field, both vulnerable to one another. She would have to learn not to take his strength for granted and assume he didn't think and feel the same way every other man did.

"Okay, okay, I get the point." She said softly, with a smile in her voice. "Now, you promised me a meal, and I'm getting hungry!"

He laughed, opening the door for her, and the two walked down the hall together holding hands. "I can see I better make sure I keep the money rolling in, I have a feeling you're going to cost me a fortune in food."

She slapped him indignantly with her free hand, and the two stood happily together, waiting for the elevator. Serena realized she had forgotten she needed her purse and told him so, and he groused good-naturedly about women always keeping him waiting.

She responded that he better get used to it, and from now on, it would be woman _singular_, not plural.

Serena walked back to her desk, Darien trailing behind her. She picked up her purse just as her boss came out of his office and saw them both.

"So, I see you two finally got to meet face to face!" He beamed, as though he had been personally responsible for it.

"Yup." Darien agreed sedately, "And right after dinner we're going shopping for an engagement ring."

Serena and Mr. Templeton's mouths both fell open.

"Come on gorgeous, I thought you were hungry." Darien said, turning to leave but waiting for her at the door.

"..I..I'm coming." She said faintly. She thought she said goodbye to her boss but couldn't be sure. She followed Darien to the elevator where they stood together once more. They were holding hands, but she pulled back from him to look up at his face, staring at his profile.

"Darien" She began, then clamped her mouth shut. She tried again. "Did you mean…?" She said…then shook her head, not finishing the sentence.

He looked down at her, amused and with one eyebrow cocked as he waited for her to process the information.

"But you haven't even said you loved me!" She frowned at him, perplexed.

"You first." He responded silkily, but with a look on his face suggested that they both already knew the answer to that.

The elevator arrived and he stepped on board amongst a crowd of people, waiting for her to join. She was frozen in place, but a smile was making its way across her delicate features.

The crowd began to get restless, and one of the elevators occupants asked Darien rudely. "Are you two together? Do you know this girl?"

"Never met her before in my life" Darien answered truthfully, before reaching out to tug her into his arms.

They laughed together all the way down to the lobby.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

End!


End file.
